Bank cashier&#39;s guard



y 19.35. J. M. CORDRAY 2,007,744

BANK CASHIERS GUARD Filed Feb. 10, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ll |l. llll I N V EN TOR,

rd7a

' ATTORNEY July 9, 1935. J. M. CORDRAY BANK CASHIERS GUARD Filed Feb. 10, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR,

J27 Cbrare 7ATTORNE;

|||| nnu lnnuHHl l r l .v

Patented July 9, 1935 p I UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE BANK CASHIERS GUARD James M. Cordray, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor of one-half to Mrs; Sachiyo Iwamizu, Los

Angeles, Calif.

Application February 10, 1934, Serial No. 710,709

3 Claims. (01. 20 1.01)

This invention relates to protective apparatus shown as incorporated in a bank room 2 :having forcashiers, clerks and other operatives,'in varia doorway 3 whose doors 4 are shown in open ous business institutions, employed at cashiers position. Concealed in the wall of the 'r'oom'and windows. adjacent to thedoorway 3 is a slidable trap-door '5 It is an object of the present invention to pro- 5 mounted andoperative in such a manner as to 5 vide an inexpensive, practicable, reliable and be quickly thrust across the doorway 3 to closing quick acting safety apparatus and further to position. The closing of the door is effected by provide such apparatus including means to efiecsuitable means preferably under electrical contuate the capture of a potential robber in an trol and depicted as including aspring Sreacting attempt to hold-up or rob the cashier of availagainst a head I of a rod v8 which is connected to 10 able money at the cashiers window. a lever arm 9, this being pivoted on a Iulcrum Further it is an object to provide means to H] and at one end connected by a link II to the protect the clerks at other windows in the same trap-door 5. room in which a cashier at a window isbeing Preferably the door is a continuous sheet or threatened with robbery. panel of substantially bullet-proof material so 15 Further it is an object to provide meansfor that persons so inclined may not shoot inwardly rendering an audible and visible signal exterior or outwardly throughthe doorway 3. to the institution being held-up. Control of the trap-door 5 is had by means of Additionally it is an object to provide a safety a trip latch l2 connected to an armature l3 of gate means for a door or doorways of institutions, an electric coil l4 whose circuit wires 15-16 are 20 especially banks, so that escape from the room connected in parallel with wires 1-48 'of an may be prevented in the event that a robber at electric circuit havinga main control switch 19.

a cashiers window has confederates in the'bank- This control switch, of which there is one at ing or other cashiers rooms. eacheashiers counter 20, is preferably concealed -35 Theinvention consists in certain advancements as in a dummy money box 2!. Therefore, under in this art as set forth in the ensuing disclosure threat by a robber, the cashier would safely close and having, with the above, additional objects the switch 19 of the circuit ll-l8 and thereand advantages as hereinafter developed, and fromto the-trap-door controldevicel3--l4. whose construction, combination and details of The circuit wires l'I-|8 lead to an electrical :10 means, and the manner of operation will be made control device .22 normally engaging a lug-23 fixed manifest in the description of the herewith illusto a box 24 normallyconcealedin the rear of cabtrative embodiment; it being understood that inet work 25 and guided downwardly by vertical modifications, variations and adaptations may be run-way stiles 26 provided on the front of the resorted to within the scope, principle and spirit cabinet work ateach cashiers windowl'l. Thereof the invention ity is more directly claimed fore when the master switch l9'closes the' circuit hereinafter. to the control device 22 this would release the Figure 1 is an interior elevation of a fragment elevated trap-box 24 and this being disposed to of a bank room showing an open doorway and fall immediately in front of thecashiers window one of a plurality of cashiers windows in the would'serve toentrap the potential robber. The

40 room. lower portion of the trap box 24 isadapted tobe 0 Figure 2 is a vertical section on line 22 of latched by the lock'bolt 28 and therefore hold Fig. 1, partly in elevation, showing the r-obbers the prisoner captive until an authorized person trap-cage in elevated, concealed position in front would unlock thebolt 28 by the proper key appliof the cashiers counter, and showing safety shutcable to the lock 29 thereof. At its upper contersat thecashiers windows in open normal posicealed portion each of the trap-boxes'fl preserits tion. at its bottom a frangible panel 30 provided for Figure 3 is a detailed view of a trip device to the purpose of closing the bottom of the trap-box effect action of a rock-shaft element of the and appearing simply as a ceiling of the cabinet system. work. Figure 4 is a perspective of an upper shutter of A feature of the invention resides in effecting 50 the system. the discharge of a suitable gas into the trap box Figure 5 is an interior face view of a portion of 24 in the event it is tripped to entrap a robber. the room wall showing a plurality of cashiers This is effected by means of a gas bomb 3|, for cages and a vault. instance containing tear gas, fixed in the top of In its illustrated embodiment the invention is the trap-box 24 and having a breakable connec- 55 tion as cord 32 to a fixed part of the cabinet so that the release of the gas will be accomplished just as the trap-box starts its descent. The dis charge of such gas is obviously for the purpose of rendering the potential robber temporarily unable to discharge fire arms through the Walls of the box.

For the further protection of the cashier there is provided at each cashiers window a pull-up shutter 33; This is attached as by a flexible connection such as a light cable 34 which extends upwardly and over a guide pulley 35 and extends down to slide 36 operating in a channel or guide 31. This slide 36 is adapted to be engaged by the lug 23 when this has passed downwardly to the requisite degree. Upon engagement of the slide 36 by the lug 23 the pull-up shutter 33 is instantly drawn up to a closing position in the window 21 concurrently with the last portion of the movement of the trap-box 24.

As a further security to the clerks at other cashiers windows in the same bank room there is provided at each window 2? a drop shutter 38 normally held in upper position by a latch 39 to uncover the opening through the window. A plurality of the control latches 39 is mounted on a suitable shaft device 43 appropriately mounted in the cabinet work and being provided with a spring 4| normally pressing the several latches into engaging position with the respective drop shutters 38. The release of the latch shaft 46 is effected by a striker 42, Fig. 3, fixed on the shutter cable 34 and designed to engage a strike 43 fixed on the rock-shaft 40. Therefore when the trap-box 24 is released by its electrical control and as the lower shutter 33 is pulled up by the cable 34 the trip device 42-43 is actuated so as to release all of the drop shutters 38 throughout the bank room. As the several drop shutters 38 descend they engage respective latches 44 which normally retain self-closing lids 45 of the cash boxes 46 so that these lids are released and instantly closed for the protection of the contents of the cash boxes, the closed lids being caught by spring looks.

The main circuit wire H is provided with an extension I1 leading to an audible and visible signal device arranged preferably exterior of the banking room or at any other desired location for making an attraction signal to the public or other interested individuals. The signal de- Vice 4? has an electric connection 48 leading to circuit closing switch 49 which is operative by and upon the descent of any drop shutter 38, the wiring system including a control switch 49 for each'such shutter connected to the circuit line 48 of the signal device or in any other appropriate manner. I

From the above it will be seen that the system includes, in combination, a plurality of relative, cooperative cashier safety devices with means to entrap a potential robber and with means for effecting a closure at such of the bank entrances as may be open, and further will effectuate the operation of an alarm signal device. Further means are provided to protect the money which may be in several of the cashiers money boxes at the various windows by concurrent action of several box cover release means.

In many bank rooms and other places handling money or instruments of considerable value and especially in jewelry stores it is the custom to provide a convenient vault V, Fig. 5. In such instances the vault may be provided with one of the automatic safety doors 5 and its operative mechanism as above described. The control circuit of the vault door joins the main circuit Wire ll-l 8 and is therefore under the instant control by any of the switches or circuit closers incorporated in the system; the circuit controller M, Fig. 2, being that which controls the safety door of the vault V.

At each of the cashiers windows there is provided a foot operated switch or circuit closer l9 connected to the control system lines l'!l8 so that the guard may be made effective either by the hand devices 59 or by the foot devices Hi.

It is understood that the several sliding elements forming window closures will have appropriate guides in the cabinet work and will be automatically latched or locked in their effective, closed position.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus of the class described; an overhead trap and a cashiers cage structure, the latter including a counter and its front window wall, a cabinet in front of the wall and overhanging a patrons standing zone in front of the counter and forming a concealed chamber, and said trap consisiting of a vertical box, closed at all sides and its top, slidably concealed in said chamber and having a frangible bottom closure, and control means to release the box to fall to a trapping position over said zone to enclose a potential robber at the counter.

2. In apparatus of the class described; an overhead trap and a cashiers cage structure, the latter including a counter and its front window wall, a cabinet in front of the wall and overhanging a patrons standing zone in front of the counter and forming a concealed chamber, and said trap consisting of a vertical box closed at all sides and at its top and slidably concealed in said chamber and having a bottom closure, and control means to release the box to fall over said zone.

3. In apparatus of the class described; an overhead trap and a cashiers cage structure, the latter including a counter and its front window wall, a cabinet in front of the wall and overhanging a patrons standing zone in front of the counter and providing a concealed chamber, said trap consisting of a vertical box concealed in said chamber and having a bottom adapted for the admission of the body of an individual standing on said zone when the box descends, control means to release the box for descent over the said Zone, and a key-controlled means for lock ing the box in its lower position,

JAMES M. CORDRAY. 

